The Calgary Flames are heading into a potentially long rebuild, but with General Manager Craig Conroy at the helm, there's plenty of optimism within the fan base that this can be built right for once.
While there's going to need to be some trades and free agent signings eventually, this thing is going to be built through the draft, and thus far, the returns have been very positive, with Zayne Parekh and Matvei Gridin headlining Conroy's first true draft class. They may headline the class of 2024, but Conroy didn't come away with just two potential future NHLers, and now, one of the more underrated prospects has been officially signed to an ELC.
Welcome to the squad, Kirill 🔥https://t.co/DlFFdshpC1
— Calgary Flames (@NHLFlames) May 22, 2026
On Friday, the team announced on social media that goaltender Kirill Zarubin has signed his Entry Level Contract, a three-year deal that carries a $1.07 million annual average value. While he's not a big name to casual Flames fans, Zarubin has quietly been dominating in the MHL in Russia, as he posted a 2.17 GAA and a .930 save percentage across 48 games played this past season.
The #Flames have signed goaltender Kirill Zarubin (2024 3rd rd) to an Entry-Level contract worth $1,007,500.
— Flames Prospects (@BlastyProspects) May 22, 2026
He had a 26-13-3 record with a .930 SV% and three shutouts in 48 MHL appearances this past season.
Can’t wait to see what he can do in NA! pic.twitter.com/LnCUzbb0uo
Not only that, but he had three shutouts, taking his tally to 9 shutouts over the past three seasons, and at 20-years of age, he's now going to make the jump to North America for the 2026/27 campaign. As a result, the team now have Arsenii Sergeev, Owen Say and Zarubin to fill two spots for the AHL's Calgary Wranglers next season, meaning one will have to play a role in the ECHL throughout the year.
It's unclear what Zarubin's ceiling is at the NHL level, but with Dustin Wolf signed long-term and Devin Cooley under contract for two more years, the hope is that he can developed into a long-term answer at the backup spot for the Calgary Flames.
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